Ready to watch a new action movie? Netflix has a new Indonesian offering that will turn your head. A single scene from the newly released action-packed movie involves a precision scope from a broken sniper rifle being haphazardly thrown into a rocket launcher.
In turn, the isolated explosion that occurs between the large projectile and the splintered gun lens causes the person who was handling such a powerful weapon to violently and visually be blown to their death. This highly volatile scene and much more messy, decorative chaos can all be found in the new Indonesian two-hour action flick The Big 4.
The Big 4 Learns From Past Action Movies
Netflix
Taking a handful of inspiration from 2011’s The Raid starring Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim, another Indonesian action thriller, The Big 4 strives to entertain audiences with its high-octane, run-and-gun recipe for a plot.
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Released exclusively to Netflix on December 15, the film simultaneously also reaches the same heights of physical veracity as 2003’s Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. Having the added bonus of featuring the hard-hitting Tony Jaa, who is a martial arts spectacle as the main hero in that franchise, The Big 4 shows that international action can easily make a mark in domestic markets even without a high-profile attraction.
The film is centered around Dina, a female cop who works belligerently in her department to honor Petrus, her deceased father who was murdered three years ago. By being an officer who is always in tune with her morals, she soon finds herself questioning the rights and wrongs of reality when she discovers that her secretive dad was actually the leader behind a team of four assassins, hence the movie’s title being The Big 4.
The Big 4 Gets Bold
The movie quickly uses a time skip to jump-start the plot three years after her father’s murder. The various gunmen who were once guided by him now have separate lives from one another and partake in some wacky occupations to financially get by. With family reunions usually forced rather than planned out of pure pleasantries, the story of this movie is not much different.
The gun-toting foursome comes together once more when a secret assailant who is looking to kill each one of them finally comes out of the shadows. Through all the physical impact that this movie has to offer, the audience also has the opportunity to surprisingly share genuine compassion with Dina in those emotionally charged scenes where she is affected by her deceased loved one. The audience can also draw from the slow, methodical bonding that takes place between her and The Big 4.
Throughout the various levels of gore, frenzied language, and feverish ferocity found within the two hours of the feature, the cast not only delivers the punch lines perfectly but also does their best to bring the family feud between all the characters to the center stage.
The Big 4 Has a Great Cast And Crew
Balanced by a healthy dose of comedy, it has an all-star cast, including the likes of Putri Marino as Dina and Abimana Aryasatya as Topan, the standout leader of Petrus’ team. Besides starring in the upcoming adaptation of The Architecture of Love, Marino has starred in numerous Indonesian features and has won the Citri Award for Best Actress in 2017, the second debut actress to win this prestige in over 30 years. With a career dating back over 20 years, Aryasatya has been nominated for and won numerous awards in the Indonesian acting field. He also had acting roles in Gundala and Story of Dinda: Second Chance of Happiness.
As for some of the supporting roles within The Big 4, Lutesha Sadhewa, Aerie Kriting, and Kristo Immanuel star as Alpha, Jenggo, and Pelor, respectively. All three cast members step into the shoes of the other three personas that fill Petrus’ squadron. Sadhewa has starred in the international Disney+ series Virgin The Series as well as Photocopier on Netflix. Both Kriting and Immanuel have starred in numerous Indonesian films, television shows, and web series. Kriting has won two awards in the past for Supporting Actor and Best Ensemble, while Immanuel has had the opportunity to direct various works in 2020 and 2021.
Not only does the director of The Big 4, Timo Tjahanto, have a growing list of movies that are being featured on Netflix like Headshot and May The Devil Take You, but Tjahanto is in the process of creating an American remake of Train to Busan called The Last Train to New York. He was also recently hired to direct a more modern version of Steven Seagal’s Under Siege for the streaming giant HBO Max.
Among all the exhilarating and edge-of-your-seat, visually satisfying action that this movie has provided to fans of the genre, an unexpected tease towards the end of Mr. Tjahanto’s latest release promises to take the potential sequel into something even deadlier than gun fights. With more blood-splattering and body-exploding moments surely in store for the future, don’t miss out on your chance to see The Big 4.
